/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/11397553/superstars-logo.0.jpg)
This show, which is streamed domestically on HuluPlus and released upon unsuspecting foreign lands like a Scud missle, seems to get into ruts with which wrestlers/sports entertainers it features.
We're in a Great Khali rut right now. And that, my friends, is not a good kind of rut in which to find yourself.
But first, a decent little tag match!
The Usos defeat Primo & Epico
in approximately eight minutes via pinfall when Jimmy Uso pins Epico
• Interesting to note that this is the famous Raw after Wrestlemania crowd from the Meadowlands last Monday. Either they hadn't discovered their powers yet, or take this as exhibit A that WWE redubs the crowd audio for Superstars, because they seem pretty into the Usos Samoan war dance intro and respond for the "Oooo" "Zohs" call.
• Do DUIs even get you in trouble with WWE at all any more?
• Jey has the tattoo scripted on his left pec; Epico has his hair in corn rows (this bullet is mostly for your recapper).
• Both of these teams are good. I don't understand why I never see them anywhere but here and Main Event. I know that's not a new or insightful comment, but I have to type it. The twins take control early and mix in their Rikishi-influenced pop-lock-strikes. Eventually the cousins isolate Jimmy on the floor and slam him back first into the barricade as we head to commercial.
• Yes, HuluPlus charges you a monthly fee and has commercials. I've been touting (as in attempting to sell, not making short videos of myself being a mark) the service, but this is by far its biggest detriment. I still think it's worth it, and if you sign up and want to say I referred you, I'll take the free two weeks. My email address is...in the masthead.
• The Colóns have a wide variety of tag moves, ranging from simple to more complex. One that I like from the sequence of quick tags they work while in control here sees Epico slingshot their opponent off the ropes into a drop kick from Primo.
• Rosa Mendes can be great as a heel manager/valet, and she gets involved to good effect several times in this one. But either she needs to stop doing the shoulder shake dance taunt or the camera needs to stop finding her every time she does it. Seeing it ten times in an under ten minute match is bothersome rather than heat-inducing.
• The crowd is hot for the Uso's comeback, which is understandable because it's a fast-paced, high-flying sequence. Some leaping kicks from Jimmy after he gets the hot tag before Epico gets two off of a swinging neckbreaker. When he goes for a sequence of no-release belly-to-back suplexes, it's countered to a Samoan drop. Jimmy heads up top for a Superfly Splash, which he hits over a charging Primo. Carlito's baby brother eats a superkick from Jey while their partners wrap this up.
Match Footage below via WWE.com''s Official YouTube Channel:
Much Raw Replay-age follows: the end of the Alberto Del Rio handicap match and Dolph Ziggler's World Heavyweight Championship victory, then Undertaker's speech with The Shield and Team Hell No's involvement.
The Great Khali defeats Darren Young
in approximately two and a half minutes via pinfall
• We've officially reached the "We watch, so you don't have to" portion of Superstars.
• The Primetime Players could be staples of the tag division as faces or heels. I assume that their new merch means that someone at corporate understands their appeal; I believe a fellow Cagesider mentioned they were popular with the kids. I guess the smark crowd wasn't that in to them. That link will also provide you with exhibit B that the Superstars crowd reactions are canned, because there was not one boo of Khali heard on the show that was streamed to me.
• The Punjabi Playboy chops his opponent, who then attacks his legs. He gets up and chops Young in the noggin and - to keep things fresh - clocks his partner, before awkwardly lowering himself for the cover.
• Darren does the proper heel thing when he tries to take a swipe at Hornswoggle as set-up for the babyface comeback. But yeah, this was the typical craptastic Great Khali segment.
• Khali, Natalya and 'Swoggle should be repackaged with a Westeros gimmick. License to print money. You're welcome, Vince.
Match Footage below via WWE.com''s Official YouTube Channel:
Then it's a Raw Rebound clip with the main beats of John Cena's story from last Monday. And we're out.
I quite enjoyed the opening tag match, but I'm supposed to grade the whole forty-ish minute show. And even though this week's recaps were money, I've seen them a couple of times already. So, for the other 32-ish minutes of regurgitation and excrement: D+.
Agree, disagree, don't care? Let's talk about it in the comments. Or, we could just keep marking out about Monday. Your choice.